What is the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2?
The Galaxy Buds 2 is an upcoming true wireless pair of earbuds from Samsung. Android Police, a reliable technology news source, was the first to make the discovery about Samsung’s plans for the Galaxy Buds 2. The team dove into the code of the Samsung Galaxy’s wearable app, looking for traces of what Samsung plans to do next. There they uncovered references to a Galaxy Buds 2. In July, a product leak revealed additional details about the product ahead of Samsung’s Unpacked Event. The Galaxy Buds 2 is the sixth true wireless earbuds to be released by Samsung. It will most likely sit atop of the lineup above the Galaxy Buds Plus, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Buds Pro, and the original Galaxy Buds. Its naming convention also hints at it being the successor to the original Galaxy Earbuds as opposed to any other on the lineup. Samsung released the first-generation Galaxy Buds back in 2019. Samsung intends for Galaxy Buds 2 to compete with the upcoming competition in the true wireless sphere. Its fiercest competitor is perhaps, Apple, with their upcoming Apple AirPods 3. Other competitors are Google Pixel Plus A, Logitech Zone True Wireless, and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.
What Can You Expect with Samsung Galaxy Buds 2?
Samsung is not a newcomer in the field of truly wireless earbuds. They’ve released several versions over the past three years to cover all the bases in terms of features. But what makes this upcoming series different from the past versions? Luckily, we have had a smattering of information from different sources to help us paint a picture.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2: Design
If Galaxy Buds 2 is truly the successor to the original Galaxy Buds, we can expect a few similarities in design. We expect the earphones to have the same rounded appearance as the original. We also expect to find at least two microphones on each earbud, one on the inside and another on the outside. As for the package, we expect it to come in a rounded box with a slim charging case and extra ear tips. Several sources leaked photos of the alleged final design for the Galaxy Buds 2. The photo showed the Buds in four different colors including black, white, green, and purple. The photos also seem to indicate that the earphone casing will follow the color of the earbuds on the interior, while the exterior will be colored white. These color options match the color options for the upcoming phones from Samsung.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2: Features
There is a high probability that the Galaxy Buds 2 will not only look like the first-generation Galaxy Buds. It will also retain most of its features. It will most likely retain the basic components such as dual microphones, touch-based controls, app controls, and more. But it will also come with some improvements, enumerated here:
Waterproofing
The earbuds will have an IPX2 rating, which translates to basic waterproofing and sweat resistance. This level of waterproofing resists water at 3 mm levels for around 10 minutes. We would have preferred a higher IPX4 standard, which would allow the device to withstand about a meter of water for longer.
Connectivity
This version is also able to connect via Bluetooth, but this time it will offer support for Bluetooth 5.2 standard. This Bluetooth version allows for faster audio data transmission and better audio quality. This update in Bluetooth function will also allow users to connect multiple devices to their Galaxy Buds 2 at the same time.
Active Noise Cancellation
Speculators have also stated that the Galaxy Buds 2 will retain the basic modes of listening. The first-generation Buds offered three basic options: active noise cancellation (ANC), ambient mode, and a mode to turn off both modes. The ANC offered three levels of noise cancellation: low, medium, and high. We suspect that Galaxy Buds will retain the same modes but add more layers to the ANC. This new version will also most likely offer the option to limit ANC to a single earbud. If you are keen on noise-cancellation features in your audio products, here are some noise-canceling earbuds and headphones for you to check out.
Better Sound Quality
Being a successor to the widely successful Galaxy Buds has brought up the hype for Galaxy Buds 2. However, it also adds to the pressure to deliver better sound quality than its predecessor. It’s rumored that the Buds 2 will offer better sound quality, specifically better bass. It’s not going to be as good as the Galaxy Buds Pro, but it will come close. It would also be nice if Galaxy Buds 2 had spatial audio features, a feature present in the Apple AirPods.
Battery Life
It has been reported that the Galaxy Buds 2 will get an upgrade in battery life. The earbuds themselves will have 61 MAh batteries, while the charging case will have 472 MAh batteries. This offers a longer lifespan than the first-generation’s 58 MAh/252 MAh battery pair. This choice of battery translates to 20 hours of playtime with active ANC turned on.
App Improvements
When it comes to the app, speculators expect to see some familiar features with a few tweaks. Of course, you will still be able to communicate with Samsung’s digital assistant, Bixby. However, you need to have a Samsung phone or computer to do that. If you want to learn more about the talents of Bixby, here’s an article explaining everything you need to know about it. Another core feature that they will implement in the second generation is the “Find my earphones” feature. Samsung first introduced this feature in the first-generation Galaxy Buds, and it helped users would look for their missing earbud/s even if the earbuds were unplugged or offline. However, it’s unclear what they’re adding to the feature or what else you can do with it. The app is also said to introduce a new tutorial on how to wear the earbuds properly and how to to use the tap controls.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2: Pricing
There has been much speculation regarding the price of the Galaxy Buds 2. The estimated price range was originally set between USD 170 to USD 200, but the latest leak from trusted tech expert Evan Blass indicates the price is at USD 149.99. That’s the equivalent of £130 or AUD 240. Samsung normally keeps its prices uniform regardless of the country that you are in. While we’re not sure what the actual price is going to be, we can be pretty sure that it will be sold at the same base price. But then again, there are taxes and shipping costs that can significantly affect its final price. If the USD 150 were true, then that would make the Galaxy Buds 2 a little more expensive than the first generation. Samsung kept the cost of the first-generation Galaxy Buds at USD 129 when it was launched in 2019.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2: Release Date
While there has been no solid indication as to when the Galaxy Buds 2 will be released, it seems that date will be sooner rather than later. Most speculators expect Samsung to make the announcement during the Unpacked event on August 11. And while the focus of the event is on Samsung’s foldable phones, they may include the Galaxy Buds 2 as well. Many Apple fans expect Apple to release their latest version of AirPods Pro by early next year. This makes it even more urgent for Samsung to release the Galaxy Buds beforehand.
Final Thoughts on Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
This ends our review of what users can expect from the upcoming Galaxy Buds 2. This is mostly speculation, of course, so best to take the information with a grain of salt. But even then, it looks as though we are going to get a feature-filled pair of earphones that will sell for an affordable price. It’s great that they added features such as active noise cancellation, bass boost, and battery upgrades. We also expect some surprise features to show up on the actual product since Samsung has not finalized its design even now. We just hope that they will work with devices other than Galaxy phones. Overall, the second-generation Galaxy Buds have a lot of potentials to overtake the first-generation Galaxy Buds. You can also build your own smart home hub with Samsung products.
